There were two outs in the bottom of the ninth in the first game of the 1988 World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers were one run down against the Oakland A's. After Oakland pitcher Dennis Eckersley walked Mike Davis, the Dodgers' manager - Tommy Lasorda, put the injured Kirk Gibson (who had not been in the game or even been introduced at it's start) for Dave Anderson. Gibson took the count to 3-2 before knocking Ekersley's backdoor slider over the right field fence to win the game.

As with any scenario with high emotional content, there's many nonverbal moments worthy of dissection. One of the most striking in this video however, is seen at 9:24 in the above video, when Dennis Eckersley looks to the stands where Gibson blasted his pitch, with what in body language terminology is referred to as a "Thousand Yard Stare". Simultaneously, his mouth takes on a "Slack Jawed" configuration (Jaw is hanging with not tension, partially opened, with no teeth showing). These two nonverbal signals - especially when clustered together are indicative of Emotional Processing - a clear sign although his intellectual brain knows what's just happened - Eckersley's emotional brain has yet to come to terms with the consequences.

A moment later, during 9:27 - 9:28, Eckersley then rolls his eyes in a very conscious (and deliberate) display of self-disgust/self-contempt.

Thank you Vin Scully (and Kirk Gibson) - for this making this moment, and many, many more, so very memorable.

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This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.

This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.